Justin Rutty Named Connecticut 6 Player of the Year

Apr 28, 2010

HAMDEN,
Conn. - Quinnipiac University men's basketball junior Justin Rutty
(Newburgh, N.Y.) has been named the Connecticut 6 Player of the
Year, following a vote of the six teams' coaches. Joining Rutty on
the Connecticut 6 First Team was James Feldeine (New York, N.Y.),
while James Johnson (Queens, N.Y.) was selected to the Second Team.
The Bobcats led all teams with three players named All-Connecticut
6. Fairfield and Sacred Heart had two players each, while Central
Connecticut, Hartford and Yale had one player recognized.

One of just
20 players in the nation to average a double-double, Rutty adds
Connecticut 6 Player of the Year and First Team to an already long
list of accolades. Included are NEC Player of the Year,
CollegeInsider.com NEC Player of the Year, All-NEC First Team,
National Association of Basketball Coaches District 18 First Team
and Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Third Team
recognition.

Rutty
averaged 15.3 points (8th-NEC) and a league-best 10.9 rebounds per
game (8th-NCAA), while shooting 54.2 percent from the floor
(2nd-NEC) in leading the Bobcats to their first NEC Regular Season
Championship during his junior season. He compiled a league-best 17
double-doubles, while finishing second in the nation for the second
consecutive year with 4.9 offensive rebounds per game. Rutty scored
his 1,000th point in just his third season at
Quinnipiac, and currently stands 15th all-time on the
NEC's career rebound list with 798 boards. He's also
23rd on the Quinnipiac career scoring list with 1,158
points. Rutty's effort on the boards led the Bobcats to the
nation's second-best rebounding margin (+8.5) and seventh-best
rebounds per game average (40.7). Rutty led Quinnipiac to its
first-ever national postseason appearance, when the Bobcats faced
Virginia Tech in the National Invitation Tournament.

Feldeine
averaged a team-high 16.5 points per game (5th - NEC)
for the Bobcats in his senior season. He was named NABC
All-District 18 First Team and finishes his career 14th
in program history with 1,320 points, fourth in Quinnipiac Division
I history. Feldeine led the NEC in 20-point performances with 13,
while also finishing seventh in free-throw percentage (.797), 10th
in steals (1.42 spg.), 13th in the league in rebounding (5.8 rpg.)
and 15th in field-goal percentage (.425). With 19
points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, Feb. 25 against Monmouth,
Feldeine became one of just nine players in NCAA Division I to
compile a triple-double this season.

Johnson
remained one of the most consistent players in the Bobcats'
line-up, extending his consecutive starts streak to 64 games to
begin his career. The sophomore averaged 12.1 points
(16th - NEC), 4.0 assists (7th - NEC), 1.42
steals (10th - NEC) and compiled a 1.83
assist-to-turnover ratio (4th - NEC). Johnson greatly
improved his shooting this season, connecting at 82.9 percent from
the free-throw line (3rd - NEC) and 38.5 percent from
long range (.385). Johnson scored a career-high 28 points as the
Bobcats defeated Robert Morris, Feb. 20, en route to securing
home-court advantage throughout the NEC Tournament.